


You Make Me Feel Brave

by pvtamytucker



Series: Brave [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coming Out, Epic Friendship, Family Angst, Family Drama, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Slash, Protective Jack, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 21:04:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6300340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pvtamytucker/pseuds/pvtamytucker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think I’m going to tell them.</p><p>Jack blinked at his phone screen, seeing the abrupt text Bitty sent. Initially they were talking about him teaching Jack how to make maple muffins for Alicia’s birthday and then this out of nowhere. What? He responded.</p><p>Bitty replied back practically instantly, making Jack think that he’d had the response waiting to send. That I’m gay.</p><p>The breath flew out of Jack, tremors running up his arms. When are you planning on it? How do you think they’re going to take it?</p><p>The lack of response made Jack anxious. Taking deep breaths, he opened a new group chat and invited Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster. This was a big deal to Bitty. Not just familial but cultural, too. The South wasn’t very accepting and his relationship with his father was already strained. He was brave, wanting to tell them. But Jack worried and started envisioning the worst case scenarios.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Make Me Feel Brave

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfiction on here. Whoa, that makes me nervous, haha So, this is non-canon compliant. Ish. The kiss at graduation didn't happen. It's set during the summer after Jack and Shitty graduate when Bitty is back in Georgia. I haven't really seen any fics about Bitty's parents taking his Coming Out badly. So I sort of thought this up. Idk, I'm a masochist I guess. But I'm planning on making this a series so it starts with things being negative and then getting better. Also this really got away from me. It wound up being twenty-three pages which I hadn't intended... Sorry if it's OOC for some of them... I'm still learning their characters! I'm very new to this fandom! ^^;  
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! Sorry for all the sadness! :c

_I think I’m going to tell them._

  
Jack blinked at his phone screen, seeing the abrupt text Bitty sent. Initially they were talking about him teaching Jack how to make maple muffins for Alicia’s birthday and then this out of nowhere. _What?_ He responded.

  
Bitty replied back practically instantly, making Jack think that he’d had the response waiting to send. _That I’m gay._

  
The breath flew out of Jack, tremors running up his arms. _When are you planning on it? How do you think they’re going to take it?_

The lack of response made Jack anxious. Taking deep breaths, he opened a new group chat and invited Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster. This was a big deal to Bitty. Not just familial but cultural, too. The South wasn’t very accepting and his relationship with his father was already strained. He was brave, wanting to tell them. But Jack worried and started envisioning the worst case scenarios.

 _Bitty wants to come out to his parents._ Not taking a moment to hesitate, Jack hit send.

_!!!!!_

_Shit, what?_

_Skype: now._

Jack didn’t question the order and immediately opened Skype, a call from Shitty immediately coming through. He answered. Shitty and Lardo were in one video window and Ransom and Holster were in another.

“He’s going to tell his parents. He told you that?” Lardo tried to clarify.

He nodded. “Yeah. But he didn’t respond when I asked when and how he thinks it’ll go. Not responding alone makes me nervous: not responding to this is worse.”

“It makes us nervous too, Jack.” Shitty soothed.

“So what’s going to happen?” Holster asked, adjusting his glasses. “What do we do?” Everybody was worried. “I wish we didn’t have to think about this.”

Ransom put a hand on his arm. “Me too, bro. Me-”

Jack’s phone beeped, effectively silencing Ransom and anything else anyone would say. Everybody held their breath. “It’s Bitty.” He opens the message.

_Tomorrow at dinner, I guess. I’m just tired of hiding…_

Jack scratched at his head, pulling at his hair and swearing. He looked at his friends- his family- on the computer screen, seeing the worry in their eyes. “He’s doing it tomorrow night and… it doesn’t seem good. He’s not doing it out of good faith.”

Lardo and Ransom both whipped out their own laptops. “I’m booking Red Eyes for the four of us. Shitty and I would normally drive but we’re in northern New York right now. So. Flights to Providence. Jack, clean out the spare room you have.”

“I’m booking the rental cars,” Ransom said, not looking up from his work. “And I’ll reserve a moving truck near you, Jack.” His computer dinged. “Got the emailed tickets, Lardo.”

“Okay so both flights are about three and a half hours, so Shitty and I will be there around eleven.” Lardo said. Shitty was in the background, repacking their bags.

“Holtz and I will be around noon. And then we’ll leave right after.” Ransom closed his computer.

“I hate to bring these up, but…” Holster winced. “We don’t know where Bitty lives. We don’t know what’s going to happen to his schooling. What if they cut him out and stop paying for school? What’ll happen then?”

Everyone was quiet for a while, all of them thinking. Jack looked up with an idea. “Chowder,” The rest looked at him confused. “Bitty has been sending him care packages. His address would be on the boxes.”

Shitty bumped into frame, grabbing his phone. “On it.” He dialed and went back to packing, phone balanced between his shoulder and ear. “Hey, Chow,”

Ransom, Holster, Lardo, and Jack were quiet, all staring at each other. Holster sighed. “Money?”

Jack opened his mouth but Lardo spoke first. “Jack, you can’t. You’re already going to house him- you can’t pay for his schooling too.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Jack countered quietly.

Lardo sighed and gave him a small smile. “And that’s why you’re such a good friend, Jack. But we shouldn’t put you out more than we already are.”

“But I- I really don’t mind. Maman and Dad _love_ Bitty, they’d help too.” He persisted.

“You’re helping enough, Jack,” Holster soothed.

Shitty popped back into frame. “Got his address. And… I might have something, regarding tuition. Give me a few days to figure it out. If it’s a dead end, then, Jack, you can pay, okay?”

Jack nodded and then sighed. “I don’t…” He carded his fingers through his hair. “I don’t like this.”

“None of us do, brah.” Shitty sat down next to Lardo.

“Out of everybody in the entire world, Bitty doesn’t deserve this.”

“Nothing has happened yet.” Ransom pointed out.

Jack stared. “You’ve heard his stories about his family reunions, right? You really think it’s going to go well? There’s a reason he went to Samwell and as much as I’d like to imagine, it wasn’t for hockey.”

He looked down at his phone, Bitty’s message still sitting innocently. _We’re all here for you, Bits._

_Thanks, Jack._

_Keep me updated? Let me know what happens?_

_Yeah… yeah, I’ll do that. Can… can I call you beforehand? Leave the phone on in my pocket while I tell them?_

Jack started to type his reply but another message came through.

_You make me feel brave…_

He let out a deep breath. “Tonight,” he looked up at his family and steeled his resolve. “we’re going to drive to Georgia, once you’re all here. Get a hotel room to stay at until Bitty needs us, if he needs us at all. That way we can get in, get him, get out as soon as we can.”

Everybody nodded and then there was silence for a while, the only noise the small interference in the connection.

“Jack,” Shitty paused. “Are you ever going to tell him?”

He looked away. “No. Not until he feels safe.”

“Jack-”

“He doesn’t need this, Shits.” Jack interrupted. “Not now. He shouldn’t feel pressured by anything while he’s going through this.”

His best friend nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Okay.”

Jack bit his lip and sent Bitty an answer. “Shitty, can you start working on the tuition problem now? Or do you need to wait?”

The mustachioed man hummed. “I can start now. I don’t know if he’ll answer his phone but I’ll try.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. I’m gonna go get the room ready.”

“We’re going to start packing and head to the airport.” Holster responded, waving as he signed off.

Lardo sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to worry.”

“Believe me; me too.” Jack rested his head against his desk. “I want them to accept him, I really, really do. His mom is his best friend. But…”

“But they’ve made it clear what they think,” Lardo finished for him. “I’ve heard them over Skype when Bitty was talking to them. Their derogatory language isn’t promising.” Jack nodded. “But that’s why we’re here. We’re his family too.”

“Yeah…” Jack murmured, standing. “I’ll let you go. See you soon.” He closed his laptop and headed for the spare bedroom that sat empty.

His phone sat heavy in his pocket, Bitty never having responded to what he’d said.

_You can call whenever. I’ll always pick up._

* * *

Shitty fidgeted where he sat at the hotel room desk, Lardo in the bathroom showering. His phone was ringing, his heart racing. “Pick up, pick up, pick up…”

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Hey, Dad… It’s, uh, it’s me.”

“ _Kid. This is a surprise. You don’t call…_ ”

“You’re right. Sorry about that. But, um, I need your help.”

“ _Oh? What did you do this time?_ ”

“Nothing!” Shitty assured. “I just… My friend might be disowned tomorrow and, if that happens, he won’t be able to go to school anymore. I was wondering if you could… help.”

His father sighed down the line. “ _Shits, just own up to the fact that you fucked up and need me to bail you out: don’t make up stories to get me to give you money_.”

“I’m not lying! Seriously.” He huffed, trying to stay calm. “Look, Bitty is a good guy. He’s one of the sweetest people I’ve met and… he doesn’t deserve to be thrown away. To have his future thrown away.”

His father was quiet for a moment. “ _Why are they disowning him? He’s had to have done something to warrant that_ ,”

“He really didn’t. He,” Shitty pulled at his hair. “He lives in the South and they’re not very… accepting down there. And tomorrow, he might not have anything anymore. I want to help…”

“ _Are his parents aware that it’s illegal to abandon and neglect a child?_ ”

“He’s over eighteen. They can do what they want now. I- I met him at Samwell and he’s on the hockey team with a scholarship covering most of it. And he’s the epitome of Southern hospitality; he bakes constantly. Those mini pies I brought for Christmas last year? He made them,”

“ _Damn, those were some good pies_.”

“He has so much potential and it’s- it’s not fair! It’s not fair that he won’t ever get to reach it because of what kind of people he’s attracted to! It shouldn’t even be a factor! And yeah, we don’t actually know what’s going to happen tomorrow but we’ve heard enough stories about their heteronormative and Christian ways that it makes me and the guys nervous. We’re creating contingency plans in case the worst happens. He’s going to live with Jack in Providence until school and then he’ll stay at the Haus during the school year but we just- we need to figure out how to get his tuition paid if his parents kick him far enough that he’s got no money. And he has no idea about any of this but we all want to be there for him- he deserves a loving family and that’s what we are. We all love him and we want to help any way we can and-”

“ _Son!_ ” His dad’s yell across the line broke him out of his nervous tangent and getting him to breathe. “ _I get it. I understand. I do._ ”

“You do?”

“ _Yes. You’re very passionate about taking care of others. No wonder you want to be a defense lawyer._ ” He chuckled before sobering up. “ _Give me his information, I’m going to look him up_.”

“He’s not a criminal.”

“ _I trust you on that. But I want to see his background: where he’s from, what kind of people he’s around, what kind of people his parents are…_ ”

“I think all you need to know is on his Twitter,” He mumbled.

“ _Shitty_ ,”

“I’m not joking. He tweets about everything. So if you want to see how it’s affecting him then you should look there too,”

“ _Okay. Okay, son. Text me his details and I’ll look into it. I’ll let you know by tomorrow morning, sound good?_ ”

“Yeah,” Shitty slumped in his chair in relief, the breath leaving him. “Yeah…”

“ _Son… I know I was harsh- am harsh- but it’s not because I don’t care… I want the best for you and I know that I might have taken the wrong path to get you there but_ ,”

“Dad… It’s- fine. Really. Don’t worry about it.”

“ _No, I am. I will. Because I’m your father. Sometimes I just forget what it’s like to be someone’s kid_.”

Shitty cleared his throat, feeling like he swallowed cotton. “Thanks. Dad. I’ll, uh, let you go so you can work.”

“ _Alright. Goodbye, son_ ,”

“Bye.” Shitty hung up but opened his texts and sent Bitty’s information to his dad.

Lardo came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his head. “That was very brave of you.” She murmured.

He put his hand against one of her arms, letting it rest there. He didn’t say anything.

“Maybe this is a road to recovery,” She mused. Shitty looked up at her, little droplets of water from her hair dripping onto his face. “Maybe you and your dad will be good.”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah… maybe.” He squeezed her arm before standing. “I’m gonna shower and then we can go.”

* * *

“Why are Chowder and Nursey here?” Lardo questioned as she stepped out of her and Shitty’s rental SUV.

Ransom and Holster both shrugged, leaning against their own car.

“Chowder told me Shits was asking about Bitty’s address.” Nursey shrugged. “We were nervous so we booked it here, figuring this is where you’d meet up. Only took an hour from home. Chow and I were gonna road trip anyway.” He pet the hood of his car. “Whatever it is that’s going on, we want to help.”

Chowder bit his lip. “If Bitty is in trouble… I feel like it’s our duty to help him any way we can. Even if it’s just showing up.”

“Why do you think it’s your duty?” Ransom asked. Not unkindly, he was curious what the frogs thought of Bitty.

Nursey blinked at him. “He’s family.”

Lardo smiled at the frogs, suddenly glad they were there. Bitty loved his frogs dearly but Bitty loved everybody. And it was hard to tell who loved Bitty for Bitty and not just for his baked goods.

“Where’s Dex?” Holster grinned. “Isn’t he normally attached at your hip and screaming, Nurse?”

Nurse rolled his eyes. “He’s been camping with his uncle and his family for the past week. One rule: no electronics. So we couldn’t get a hold of him.”

Jack came out of the apartment building, heading toward their crowd that was huddled together. He blinked. “Oh. The frogs are here too?”

Chowder stood taller, staring Jack in the eye. “Yes.”

The others were stunned. Chowder was always so bouncy and jittery around Jack, like an excited puppy when their owner comes home. But there he was, standing stock still and _challenging_ him.

“Whoa, Chow…” Shitty mumbled, surprised. Lardo bumped her elbow against him in agreement.

“I care about Bitty. He was the first one to make me feel at home at Samwell. He takes care of me… now I want to help take care of him.” He looked at everyone. “So don’t tell me to leave because I won’t.”

Jack smiled at him, a small little thing, and clapped him on the shoulder. “Okay… okay. Nurse, you and Chowder ride with Holster and Ransom. Shitty and Lardo, you’ve got your truck. I’m taking the moving van.”

As the group went to their respective vehicles, Nursey nudged Holster to get his attention. “So what is going on with Bitty?”

“He’s coming out to his parents.”

Chowder blinked. “Did something bad happen? Is he okay?”

“He hasn’t told them yet. But we’re going to be there in case anything _does_ happen.”

“You don’t think they’re going to _hurt_ him, do you?”

“No, Chow, no,” Ransom soothed quickly as they all buckled up and followed Jack’s van out onto the road, Shitty and Lardo behind them. “We’re just. If they kick him out or if he doesn’t feel safe there anymore… We’re going to move him into Jack’s apartment.”

Nursey hummed. “What about school?”

“We’re getting that covered.” Holster answered. “Rans, reach into the glove box and get out the walkie.”

“Providence isn’t that far from Samwell.” Chowder mumbled. “Is Bitty going to commute now?”

Ransom snorted, turning on the walkie. “No, bro, he’s still gonna be at the Haus. Don’t worry.” He clicked the walkie talkie. “You guys get yours working?”

“ _Yep_.”

“ _Read you loud and clear_.”

“Sw'awesome. Jack, where we headed? In case we get split.”

Jack rattled off the directions before the line went quiet, everyone in their own thoughts, in their own cars.

Nursey swiped the walkie. “Hey, bro, when Bitty lives with you, are you gonna, like, be able to handle his music? I heard stories about before, man.” He grinned at the D-men in the front seats, seeing them laughing quietly.

It was silent across the line until Jack answered quietly, “ _I’ll be glad that he’s blasting his music. It means he’s feeling good._ ”

Chowder looked at his hands in his lap, Ransom and Holster avoiding Nursey’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Nursey huffed.

“Never thought I’d say this to you, Jack,” Nurse mused. “But, _chill_ , bro.”

Everyone laughed, Shitty and Lardo turning their radio on so the others could hear them.

* * *

“Okay,” Jack sighed, eyes looking more droopy and tired than usual. “We’ve got two rooms. They have a connecting door and both have two beds. Pick a key,” He holds out the four keys to Holster, Lardo, and Chowder. They all do and Jack looks at his key to see his room number. “I’m 407.”

“Ditto,” Lardo waved her key. “So, you, me, and Shits. Sounds like a regular Thursday night,” She grinned.

“We’ve got 409 then,” Holster bumped Nurse, jostling him out of his half sleep.

“Oh, yeah, cool.” He yawned. “Bed, please?”

They all made their way up to their rooms and, once inside, collapsed onto the beds.

Jack rolled over onto his back on his and fished his phone out of his pocket. “It’s two o’clock so: sleep. Wake up around noon for lunch. They eat dinner at seven. We’ll play the day by ear?”

Lardo moaned into the bedcovers and nestled underneath the blankets, only a few wisps of hair visible. “Sounds a-okay.”

Shitty looked over at Jack as the NHL player stripped off his clothes until he was in nothing but his boxers and socks. “Dad texted me.” He murmured.

Jack hesitated as he was folding his clothes before glancing at Shitty out of the corner of his eye. Shitty’s dad contacting him was never really a happy occasion. For anyone. “What’d he say?”

“He said he would pay for Bitty’s schooling if need be. And,” Shitty hesitated, a small, fragile smile appearing under his ‘stache. “He said that, uh, if we wanted… he’d, uh, adopt Bitty.”

Lardo popped out of the covers, eyes wide. “ _What_?”

“Shits…” Jack moved over to their bed and plopped down somewhat ungracefully next to Shitty, his leg overlapping his friend’s. “Where is this coming from…?”

“The, uh… I called him about Bitty’s tuition.” He scratched at his hair. “I hate asking him for things but… Bitty is more important than pride. He said he would think about it and look into Bitty’s family and home life. But adopting him… completely out of left field.”

“Did you ask him why?” Lardo crawled into his lap, Shitty’s arms automatically wrapping around her and pulling her closer.

“Because Bitty is important to me.” Shitty explained, his eyes shining and awe showing in his tone. “He said that when he was looking into his whole family, it… it wasn’t promising. And Bitty’s record is nothing but good remarks and grades and wins. That he deserves a family that can support him. I’m mad at my father,” He looked at Jack, confusion blatant. “I’m mad at him…”

“He wasn’t good to you or your mom, Shits,” Lardo explained, running her fingers through his hair. “He was harsh and demanding and unfair. And then suddenly he’s willing to give this stranger the world. You’re mad because you never got the world,”

Shitty nodded. “I know… And I have no right because- because he’s doing this _for me._ He offered to adopt Bitty into the family for me, so I have legal reason to help him. He’s playing with governmental laws and restrictions so I can help my friend. I have no right to be upset about that.”

“You can’t help your feelings, Shitty,” Jack murmured, shrugging. “They’re illogical. So. Be mad at your dad. But be happy for Bitty, too. You’re a talented guy; I’m sure you can do both.” Jack smirked at his best friend.

Shitty laughed. “Yeah… Okay. I’ll nap and dream about beating him in court. Then I’ll be over it.” He leaned back and laid down, Lardo falling with as his arms were still coiled around her.

Jack moved over to his own bed and turned the lamp off, tucking himself in. “Get some rest, guys.”

* * *

The seven of them huddled together on Jack’s bed in the hotel, Jack’s phone resting in the middle of their circle. They all had Chinese takeout containers in their hands, passing the food around to whomever wanted to eat out of that particular box.

“I was thinking,” Chowder started. Everyone looked at him, in various states of eating. “What if we fixed up the Haus?”

Holster chewed for a second before giving up and just talking through his food. “ _What_?”

“Fix up the Haus.” Chowder repeated, a smile on his face. “Give something else to Bitty to show that everyone cares. Fix the crooked doors, touch up the kitchen, toss the green couch,”

“He _does_ hate that couch,” Ransom mused.

“Besides, we kind of have to anyway?” The goalie winced. “Since Shitty is gone, how long do you think it’ll take for the school to send an inspector out and shut it down? Everyone on the team could pitch in- maybe we could even get Johnson! He liked Bitty, right? I mean he gave him his dibs, after all.”

Holster furrowed his eyebrows, thinking deeply. “Replace the floorboards, fix the insulation, new pipe system for the bathrooms,”

“New fridge, new cabinets,” Nursey added. “Think he’d cry again?”

Lardo snorted, Shitty smiling widely beside her. “He’d downright sob over the couch alone.” She sobered. “Start small. Work our way there. We don’t want to get in over our heads.”

“More than we already are?” Nursey smirked.

Chowder grinned. “Sw’awesome! Dex can work on the electrical stuff! His dad is driving him to Samwell instead of flying so maybe he can help too.”

“I’ll talk to Dad about a contractor,” Jack added. “See what needs serious work before the menial tasks.”

Lardo sat up straight and grinned. “I’m going to make him a painting.”

“I think he’d really like that,” Shitty smiled down at his friend.

Jack’s phone rang, cutting the conversation to a close. He picked up and hit speaker. “Hello?”

“ _Jack?_ ”

“Hey, Bits. You okay?”

“ _Yeah… yeah, dinner is about to start so…_ ”

“Well, I’m” _we_ “here for you.”

“ _Thanks_ ,” Bitty breathed. “ _Okay. Showtime_ ,” There was shuffling across the line and then Bitty’s voice quieter than before. “ _In the pocket, you go_.”

Holster and Ransom snorted, trying to hold their nervous laughter in.

It was quiet until, “ _Dicky, sweetie, please get your father a beer from the fridge,_ ”

Slowly, the group closed up the boxes of food and passed them down the line to be placed on the nightstand, attention fully focused on the phone.

“ _Sure thing, mama_.” Some more shuffling, everyone assuming that it was Bitty going through the process of grabbing the beer and bringing it to the table.

“ _Thanks, Junior_.” His dad’s gruff voice rang out clear, vastly different from both Bitty and his mother. “ _You catch the football game yesterday?_ ”

“ _No, uh, sorry, Coach. I was at the rink_ ,”

His father grunted. “ _Let me guess: you were twirlin’ and spinnin’ again_.”

“ _Richard_ ,” His mother admonished, almost lightly in a sense, as though it was a daily thing she had to do, like wash the dishes. Jack’s hand closed tighter around his car keys.

“ _I was actually practicing my stick handling_ ,” Bitty answered strongly. If Bitty had any confidence when discussing things with his father, it would always be about hockey. “ _Switching from right-hand orientation to left-hand and then single-handed. I don’t want to get rusty for the upcoming season_.”

“ _Oh, yes, you’re still on the team! That’s right!_ ” His mother laughed. “ _I haven’t heard you talk about playing again since the end of school, I forgot that you were still going to play._ ”

“ _So how’s the team handling you?_ ” Coach’s voice made everyone pause. What kind of question is that?

“ _What do you mean?_ ” Bitty’s voice caught a little. Lardo clutched at Shitty and Chowder’s arms.

“ _You being so small. I’ve seen the other boys: they’re giants. And about the figure skating? It was a pretty gay thing to have been part of- d’they tease you for it?_ ”

“ _N-no, Coach, they don’t_.” Bitty’s voice got stronger at the end and everyone held their breath, knowing what he was about to say. “ _Actually, they’re all pretty accepting about gay things._ ”

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the phone and Jack almost worried that his phone went dead.

“ _Dicky_ ,” Bitty’s mother hesitantly interjected into the conversation. “ _What exactly do you mean by that?_ ”

“ _I’m gay…_ ”

The silence following terrified Chowder and he abruptly stood and headed toward the connecting door to his, Nurse’s, Holster’s, and Ransom’s room. He came back, shoes in hand, body vibrating with nerves.

“ _Is this that Jack boy’s doing?_ ” Coach’s rough tone broke the spell over everyone else and they scrambled as quietly as they could for their bags and shoes, getting ready to leave.

“ _W-what?_ ”

“ _That teammate of yours. The one that visited last year. I always knew something was off. Did he convince you-?_ ”

“ _No, I-_ ”

“ _I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about, Richard. It’s just a phase_.” There was a pause and Bitty’s mother’s voice was harder than before. “ _And that phase ends now, doesn’t it, sweetheart?_ ”

Bitty hesitated, voice quiet but sure as he spoke. “ _No, mama. It’s not._ ”

“ _Well, don’t worry_.” She reassured. “ _There’s camps for just this purpose: we’ll get you fixed up straight away_.”

“ _I just don’t understand how…_ ” Coach huffed angrily. “ _You spent too much time with your mother. You got confused. I should have taken you fishing more and had you commit to football_.”

“ _That’s not… how it works. You can’t just- change someone. It’s who I am! And-and baking with mama and figure skating didn’t make me gay. Sports don’t make someone straight. There’s nothing I’m confused about. I’m just… I’m me. I’m still me_.”

The group left the hotel room, keys in the room to signify they were checked out. Shitty ran ahead to tell the front desk that they were leaving. Jack held the phone to his ear, off speakerphone since they were in public.

“ _Suzanne, get that number from Janet down the street_.” Coach was quiet but resolved and, if Jack listened carefully, he could hear Bitty’s quiet shuddering breaths that signified he was holding back tears. “ _The one she sent Daniel to, the one that fixed him right_.” A chair scraped on the floor; Bitty’s mom leaving the dinner table.

“ _Coach-_ ” Bitty hiccupped and Jack walked faster, everyone following his lead, assuming it was getting worse.

“ _No, Junior_.” Coach cut him off loudly. “ _You don’t get a say in this anymore. You can’t think right, and you need help_.”

Bitty sniffed and his chair scraped as he stood. “ _I’m sorry…_ ” There was a shuffling noise and then a door opened and closed. “ _Jack_ ,” Bitty cried into the phone.

“Hey, I’m here,” Jack consoled. Shitty and Lardo were in their SUV and the others in Holster’s rental. Jack turned on the moving van and led the charge out of the parking lot and on the way to Bitty’s. “I’m here. I’m so sorry, Eric,”

A wet laugh came down the line and brought a sad smile to Jack’s face. He didn’t know what he did but he wanted to keep making him laugh and smile and help him forget this sadness. “ _You called me Eric_.”

“Well, it’s your name, isn’t it? Besides, I heard you’re not so bitty anymore, eh? You grew a few inches, last I heard.”

A loud sniffle and a deep breath. “ _Yeah. Yeah, uh, maybe two? Not much, though. I’m still short, though_.”

“Eric, I have met short people, and you are still taller than them.” Jack chuckled.

“ _Still shorter than you and the team…_ ”

“Yeah… but your big heart makes up for it.”

Eric laughed, making Jack’s chest warm. It was a real laugh- one not laced with tears anymore. “ _Lord, I must sound a wreck if you’re bein’ so nice to me_.”

“I’m sorry, Bits… I really am.”

He sniffed again and sighed. “ _It’s not like I expected any different. I hoped… but… I didn’t expect any different_.”

“Everything will turn out okay though. Just wait and see.”

Eric laughed lightly. “ _Since when are you an optimist?_ ”

“I’m not.” Jack pulled over in front of Eric’s house and parked. Lardo and Shitty parked behind him and Holster and the others parked further down the street. “I’m a realist.” He got out and met with the others on the front porch. “Hey, Eric? I have to hang up right now.”

“ _O-oh, uhm… okay. Sor-_ ”

“Don’t be sorry. For anything. We’ll talk again very soon, I promise.”

“ _Okay, Jack_.” Eric sniffled. “ _Goodbye_.”

Jack hung up and knocked hard on the front door as he pocketed his phone. “Shove past if you have to.”

The front door opened and Suzanne, Eric’s mother, stood in the doorway, shock evident on her face. “Jack… Honey, what are you doin’ here? Do your parents know you’re down here?”

“I’m a twenty-four-year-old man, Suzanne,” He pointed out.

“Oh, right,” She laughed awkwardly at the crowd in front of her. “Um, well, now’s not really a good time, sweetheart. We’re going through some family troubles.”

Shitty grinned and patted her on the shoulder, squeezing past. “That’s alright! We’ll be out of your hair soon!”

Ransom and Holster quickly followed behind her with Lardo, Nursey, and Chowder bringing up the rear. Jack stayed on the porch, watching Eric’s mom. She blinked rapidly in confusion at the party entering her home before looking back at Jack.

“What-?”

“Family reunion,” Jack interrupted, sliding past her into the house finally.

“Uh… Richard, dear.” She called into the house after closing the door and rushed forward into the kitchen. “We have guests…?”

Coach stood as tall as he could, staring down Jack. The NHL player was unaffected, with a surprised little thought that Eric was taller than his father. “What on earth are _you_ doin’ here?”

“Family reunion!” Holster grinned widely. “Didn’t ya hear?”

Jack raised an eyebrow and turned to the stairs. Coach’s voice stopped him short.

“This is your fault you know.” Jack looked back at him. “You ruined him. Now we gotta fix him.”

“Eric doesn’t _need_ fixing,” Jack shook his head. “He’s perfect the way he is.”

He rushed it up the stairs with everyone in a line behind him, Ransom holding the end to block the hallway. He knocked on Eric’s bedroom door, his name on a nice placard at his eye level. Eric didn’t answer the door so he knocked again before opening the door himself.

Eric sat on his bed, face pressed to his drawn up knees. His shoulders shook with unheard, unseen sobs.

“Told you we’d talk again soon,”

Eric’s head shot up, staring stunned at Jack in his doorway. Everyone crowded around behind Jack and Eric’s eyes widened at the sight of them. “Wha… What in the-”

“Like I said,” Jack smiled at him shyly, stepping further into the room, hands awkwardly in his pockets. “We’re here for you.”

Eric’s face crumpled and he leapt at Jack, wrapping his arms around him and sobbing into the crook of his neck. Jack lifted him off his feet and stepped further again into the room so everyone could get in and start packing things up.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ve got you.” Jack soothed.

“Jack,” Eric’s breath shuddered out. “I can’t believe…”

“Believe it, brah!” Shitty jumped over to them, into Eric’s line of sight. “We’re taking you home.”

Eric looked at everybody; Chowder and Nursey packing his clothes away in his suitcases from the closet; Lardo packing his computer and desk things in a box; Holster taking apart his bed and folding all the sheets, putting them in clear bags to carry; Ransom blocking the doorway and keeping an eye down the hall; Shitty smiling at him; and finally Jack standing in front of him, eyes soft. “H-home?”

Jack nodded. “ _Home_.”

“C’mon, brah,” Shitty jostled Eric by the shoulder gently. “Help us pack what’s yours.”

The little Southerner stared at him before sliding his arms around Shitty’s waist and hugging him. “Thank you.”

Shitty hugged him back tightly, looking at Jack in relief. “Anytime, Bits, anytime.” He leaned over to Eric’s bed and picked up Señor Bunny. He gently handed it over to Eric. “We’ve got you,” He went over and started helping Lardo box the miscellanea items Eric owned.

Jack nudged him out of his little stupor, Señor Bunny clutched to his chest. “Come on, let’s get your things out of the bathroom, eh?” He tugged Eric along to the door and Ransom stepped back.

Eric skipped ahead a step before Jack, leading him through the right door and started gathering his stuff.

“Now hold on just a minute,” Suzanne scolded from down the hall. Ransom stood still in front of her, blocking her way past.

“Young man, move out of the way this instant.” Coach’s voice was stern but Ransom just rolled his eyes, keeping his back to them.

“You don’t get a say in this anymore,” Jack threw his words back at him. “You can’t think right.”

Coach sputtered, face going red and Holster and Nurse came out of Eric’s room, carrying his dresser. Ransom started walking backwards, effectively pushing the Bittle parents down the hall and down the stairs. Once they were clear of the stairs and heading toward the front door, the D-man ran back up to keep the blockade, repeating it all when Shitty and Chowder carried his desk.

Eric wiped at his eyes. “I can’t believe y’all are doing this for me…” He whispered to Jack.

The Canadian carded his fingers through Eric’s hair. “Come on.” He led the way down the hall, Ransom following as a bodyguard, and down the stairs, out the door to the moving van. The others were running back and forth, getting all of Eric’s gear into the van as quickly as possible. “Anything left that’s not in your bedroom or the bathroom?”

“Uh, yeah. My baking supplies a-and my hockey gear.” Jack opened the door to the van and helped him in.

“Where’s the gear?”

“Garage.”

“Ransom,”

“On it.” He jogged over to the garage, the door already lifted open, and went over to the far wall where duffel bags sat. He grabbed the red and white one that had Samwell’s logo on it and hesitated before leaving, seeing other bags with Bitty’s name on them. He grabbed those as well.

“Now, Bitty, listen to me. I know you love your baking stuff, but would it be alright to leave them?” The Southerner’s eyebrows furrowed in defiance. “I’m not saying you won’t be able to bake anymore, Bits. We’ll get you new supplies. If you want. If not then okay, we can run in and you can show us what’s yours-”

Eric pulled the taller man into an awkward hug, practically pulling Jack’s face into his stomach from how high up he was sitting. “No. No, we can leave all that,”

Jack smiled and rubbed his hand up and down Eric’s side. “Okay… Okay, good. Anything else that you might be forgetting?”

Eric let him go and stared at his childhood home, his parents on the front porch with Holster keeping them away, Shitty scolding them about equality and prejudices. He shook his head slowly. “Nothin’ that can’t be replaced. Everything I need came to get me,” he smiled at Jack and Ransom, Ransom holding his fist out to bump. Eric laughed, small tears falling down his cheeks as he bumped his own to Rans’.

“Hey,” Ransom stared him down, faux- serious. “No crying in baseball. Chin up, slugger. The best has yet to come.”

“I can’t… thank you enough-”

“So don’t.” Ransom interrupted. “You don’t have to. For real, bro.”

Lardo walked up to the little group and gave Eric a small smile. “We’ve got everything from your bedroom. Chowder snuck into the basement and found all the stuff you kept in storage, in boxes. So we’ve got those as well. Are we good to go?”

Eric wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah… I think we are.”

“Okay. Here,” She handed Eric his pillow from his bed and his comforter that she’d been holding. “It’s going to be a long drive.”

Jack ruffled Eric's hair one last time before circling the front of the truck to get to the driver’s door. Ransom went over to his truck and Lardo went to hers, everybody preparing to leave. Coach and Suzanne stood on the porch, watching them leave helplessly.

“They’re taking our baby, Richard…” Suzanne wavered, moving to place her hand on her husband’s arm.

“He’s not a baby anymore, Suzanne.” Coach stepped away, heading back inside. “He’s made a choice.”

“But, Richard,” She followed him into the kitchen and stared at Eric’s plate, still full of his dinner.

“But nothing, Suze.” He stared at her. “He left.”

“They took him!”

“No, he _left_.” Coach scrubbed at his eyes. “If you saw the way they treated him at all, you’d see that they didn’t force him to do anything. Junior made his choice.” He looked up and saw his wife silently crying, eyes on the front door as though she could still see their son. “Face it: we’re not equipped to handle this… _him_.”

“But I- I just want what’s best for him,” She wiped at her face, trying to be brave.

“He’s different. And that group of people…” He shook his head. “They are too. In one way or another… Junior is stubborn. I don’t think that camp would have worked on him.”  
“Richard?”

Coach sat heavily at the kitchen table. “We should just let him go.” Suzanne’s face furrowed in anger. “I’m not saying abandon him. I’m saying… let him be… who he wants to be.”

“But- but he should be _here_. At _home_.”

“A home is only home because it’s where you feel safest.” Coach muttered. “I don’t think Georgia is his home anymore.”

“But Dicky…” She fell into her own chair, hand clutching at nothing, sitting at her collarbone, tears falling. “Dicky’s our _baby_. _My_ baby…”

Coach looked at her, face grim. “Let him go, Suze.” He downed his beer as Suzanne silently, crying, cleared the table.

* * *

Eric sat snugged up in his comforter, Señor Bunny clutched in his hands, next to Jack in the moving van’s front cabin. He leaned against the passenger side door, facing Jack, and watching him as he drove. A small smile graced his face.

Jack glanced at him before focusing on the highway ahead, a small embarrassed laugh escaping along with a smile. “What?”

Eric shook his head. “You’re amazing. That’s all.”

“Nah, it’s wasn’t me-”

“Yes, it was.” Eric interrupted, smile slipping to a smirk.

Jack’s cheeks warmed. “Okay, fine, but it wasn’t only me. It was a collective effort. Trust me.” He shook his head, still amazed. “You know, Chowder and Nursey just showed up. It was just going to be me, Shits, Lardo, Rans, and Holster. But when Shitty asked Chowder for your address, he got scared for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Stood up to me and everything, demanding to come with to help.”

Eric laughed, bright and clear. _As it should be_ , Jack thought, relaxing. “He did not. Chowder idolizes you. He doesn’t know how to really say anything coherent around you.”

“That just goes to show you how much we all care for you.” Jack reached over and patted Eric’s knee.

“Thank you, Jack.” He murmured, snuggling further into his blanket nest. “For everything.”

“It’s nothing, Bits.”

Eric sighed, feeling content. “Mom was my best friend…” His voice was melancholy again but he wasn’t crying anymore.

“I want to say they’ll come around but…” Jack shook his head. “I don’t-”

“I get it. You don’t want me to get my hopes up.” Eric sniffed and hesitated. “But… could you say it anyway?”

Jack glanced at him, seeing the flatness of Eric’s usually so lively eyes. “They’ll come around. They’re just… surprised.” He hesitated before continuing. “I think… I think us being there to take you… I think that might put things in perspective for them. That you’re… loved. And that there’s people out there that like you just the way you are. I think it’ll take time but… they won’t be out of your life forever.” He nodded to himself, eyes still on the road. “It’ll just take time.”

Eric fell forward into Jack’s side, arms wrapping around his waist and hugging him tightly. His face was pressed into the juncture of his shoulder and neck, dry sobbing. Jack wrapped his arm around him, holding him close. “Th- thank you. Thank you, thank you,” Eric kept murmuring into Jack’s neck, unable to express how much he loved him, how much he appreciated what he did for him. How _far_ he went to keep Eric safe.

Jack didn’t say anything, just held him as tightly as he could while driving. Neither of them moved for hours of the drive, until Eric yawned. Jack nudged him lightly so he’d sit up. “Get some rest, eh? I’ll wake you when we’re close.”

Eric nodded and laid down as much as he could in the bench seat, pillow cushioning his head against the side door. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Jack grabbed the walkie that was resting atop the dashboard and turned it on, keeping the volume low. “Everyone good?”

“ _Yeah. How’s Bitty?_ ” Lardo’s tired voice came through.

“He’s sleeping. I think he’s going to be fine.”

“ _Good_.”

“ _Hey, Jack_ ,” Shitty’s voice came over the walkie. “ _My dad is going to call Bitty’s parents tomorrow to discuss school. He’s going to pretend to be a representative for the school board and ask them when they want to submit their payment for the upcoming semester. He’ll let us know how it goes_.”

Jack nodded to himself. “Alright. Sounds good.”

“ _Jack_ ,” Ransom’s voice came through. “ _We’re going to stop at a truck stop; Chowder and Nurse gotta go and we’re gonna grab ourselves some snacks. We’ll catch up with you, alright?_ ”

“Got it.” He paused. “Wait, didn’t you have a whole cooler filled with food and Gatorade?”

“ _Check under the passenger seat_ ,” Ransom sounded smug. “ _Bitty never got to eat his dinner, remember?_ ”

Jack chuckled. “Thanks, Ransom.”

“ _Ransom, you are a gentleman and a scholar!_ ” Shitty yelled through the walkie, making Jack smile.

“ _I try_.”

* * *

Eric woke up after rolling off the seat into the foot well, making Jack try to choke back a startled laugh. The Southerner grunted and sat up, eyes squinted in his exhaustion and confusion.

“Okay there, Bits?”

“Yeah,” He cleared his throat, voice coming out raspy. “Any chance we could stop for food or somethin’?”

Jack smirked. “Look under the seat. Ransom and Holster left you a present.”

He heard Eric rummaging around and then make a nice little hum in the back of his throat. “ _Fooooood_.” Jack snorted. “Hey. Don’t make fun or you won’t get one of these _delicious_ sandwiches.”

“Get up on the seat.” Jack shook his head in amusement. Eric did as he was told and rearranged his blanket, getting comfortable, a sandwich stuffed hanging in his mouth, a red Gatorade in his one hand. “What did they pack?”

Eric took a huge bite and held the sandwich, answering with his mouth full. “Fifteen different types of sandwich,” He muffled through before chewing and swallowing. “I’ve got turkey, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on wheat. I think they’re from somewhere because I’ve never seen either of those boys create a sandwich that tasted let alone look edible.”

“It’s possible.” Jack chuckled.

“Do you want one?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“How much longer of a drive?”

Jack shrugged. “Hour and a half, maybe two. Depends on traffic.”

Eric’s eyes widened. “ _What_? I was asleep that long?”

“You needed it,” Jack’s voice went soft. “I didn’t want to wake you before you were ready.”

Eric’s face warmed and he fiddled with the lettuce in his sandwich. “Thank you. I feel better. I think I needed that.”

“I think you needed it too.” Jack chuckled. “Mom called.”

Eric’s eyes lit up. “How is Alicia?”

“She’s good.” He smiled at his friend, withholding the urge to run his fingers through his short blond hair. “I was going to go to Montreal to visit her for her birthday, you know? She wants you to come with,”

“Really?” Eric tilted his head and took another big bite, chasing it down with his drink.

“Yeah. Said, ‘I don’t trust you to get Eric’s muffins right. Just bring him with.’” Eric laughed quietly. “I think she just misses you.”

“I miss her too. She’s nice.” Eric bit his lip. “Do they-?”

“Yeah.” Jack interrupted. “They’ve known.” Eric looked up at him and Jack maintained eye contact with him for as long as he could before turning back to the last stretch of highway. He could see Lardo and Shitty’s SUV a lane to the left up ahead. “That kind of thing isn’t really secret with them. They’ve known about me since… Since Kent.”

“Wait- you? What do you mean, they’ve known about you?” Eric slid closer to him, eyes staring intently on Jack’s profile.

“That I’m not… straight. I don’t… I’m not really gay either.”

“Bi?”

“No. Shitty called it demisexual? It’s… I don’t feel attraction for someone unless I have the emotional attachment first. What you’ve got in your pants doesn’t really matter to me.” He shrugged, making Eric laugh.

“I take it you stole that phrasing straight from Shitty.” Eric’s eyes twinkled.

“More or less. Give or take a few ‘brah’s.” He smirked as Eric laughed again, head thrown back and hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I don’t know, it just… Why would I trust someone with my body if I can’t trust them to understand my feelings or what I think?” He shrugged again.

“I like that.” Eric murmured. “Makes it easy to avoid mistakes. Shame in your actions.” He shook his head, a blush spreading across his face. “The amount of one nights stands and hiding under bleachers I did, with people I didn’t even care about… I like your way better.”

Jack gave him a sad smile. “Yeah… Gets lonely sometimes, though. No one wants to deal with an ex-addict’s problems.”

“Then those people aren’t worth your time. Besides, you shouldn’t… you don’t need a relationship to be happy, Jack.”

“I know.” He assured Eric, bumping his shoulder to the smaller man’s. “But it’d be nice to have that connection with someone.”

“Mm.” Eric nodded. “Yeah. So!” He sat straighter, posture demanding a subject change. “How many people have you felt attracted to, then?” He bit his lip, smiling.

“What?” Jack laughed lightly, a little confused.

“You know, the whole; is this just a sw’awesome friendship or am I actually wantin’ this person, type thing.” Eric leaned against Jack heavily, causing the taller man to smile and laugh. “I bet you, you had those feelings for Shitty and then promptly freaked out.”

“I did not!” Jack laughed. “I… Okay, so maybe I did for Holster, but it was gone in an instant.” He admitted, just to see Eric smile and cackle.

“Oh, Lord! Does he know? Can I tell him?”

“ _No_. Please, do not.” Jack shook his head in embarrassment.

Eric hummed for a second. “Fine. Secret’s safe with me. Scout’s honor and all. Anyone else?”

Jack bit his lip. “Uh… Yeah.”

Eric waited a moment and when he realized Jack wasn’t going to continue, he poked him in the side. “ _And_?”

“ _And_ nothing came of it.” He shrugged. “We’re good friends. Wouldn’t wanna ruin that.”

Eric rested his head on Jack’s shoulder. “I understand.” He murmured. “Still fresh, huh?” Jack nodded, silent. “Yeah… It sucks when your crush hits a little too close,”

Jack was extremely thankful that Eric was leaning against him facing forward and not staring at him because his face probably resembled a tomato. “Yeah. Especially if you’re bad at acting casual.”

Eric laughed. “Lord, don’t I know it? Sometimes I feel like… like it gets so obvious, that I don’t know _how_ they don’t see it!” When Jack peeked at Eric’s face, he saw he was blushing too.

“Yeah… Even purposefully being obvious sometimes goes nowhere too,”

Eric looked up at him, chin resting against Jack’s bicep. “What kinds of super obvious things have you done for the people you like?”

Jack shrugged with his opposite arm, careful not to jostle Eric. “I don’t know, Eric, just…” He avoided the blond’s eyes and decided to just tell him. Just lay it bear. If worst came to worst, Eric could live with Shitty. So he wouldn’t feel awkward living with the man he’d rejected. “Get all their closest friends together and move them out of a toxic environment,” Silence followed after and Jack just continued, not knowing how to properly act. “Buy them an oven for their birthday… Make them the subject of my photography project…” He shrugged. “Ignore my diet plan for their baked goods.”

He snuck a peek at Eric and saw him biting back a huge smile, eyes shining with happiness. The Southerner cleared his throat and leaned up, pressing his lips to Jack’s cheek. “You’re too kind to me, Jack.” He murmured.

He shrugged again, face on fire as he held back his own smile. “Well, if you want me to stop,” He chirped.

“I would never!” Eric laughed, sliding his arm through Jack’s and fitting their fingers together. “I’m sorry I didn’t see,”

Jack cleared his throat. “I’m not very good at… _this_ kind of thing so…”

“Well… In case I didn’t make it very clear,” Eric took a deep breath. “I like you, Jack. A lot.”

Jack didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t very good with words, with being straightforward. So he did something he knew: teased. “Move in with me?” He grinned, cheeky.

Eric laughed. “Why, Mr. Zimmermann, that may just be too fast. What about a first date?”

“Then this is gonna get a bit awkward,” He pulled up to his apartment building, Shitty and Lardo outside their SUV already, sitting on its hood and Ransom and Holster just parking next to them, Chowder and Nurse climbing out once they’ve stopped. Jack parked near them. He smiled at Eric.

Eric scratched at his neck, face red. “I suppose we can skip a few steps,” He bit his lip. “But there’s one step that… I would like to do first.” He looked at Jack’s lips before flicking his gaze to his striking blue eyes.

Jack fit his hand to Eric’s cheek, Eric leaning into his palm, eyes still locked. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Eric’s gently, giving him the time and space to move away if he wanted.

Instead, Eric pressed closer, sliding his mouth against Jack’s, catching the man’s bottom lip between his and nipping at it, soothing it with his tongue. Jack’s breath caught before he tilted his head, trying to deepen the kiss. He slipped his tongue into Eric’s mouth, making the younger man sigh and give out a little hum. Eric grasped at Jack’s shirt, trying to keep him close as he leaned forward onto his knees, angling them so he was slightly higher than Jack. Jack pulled back to breathe but couldn’t keep away from him, pressing open-mouthed kisses to his neck. Eric bit his lip and ran his fingers into Jack’s hair, tugging lightly at the strands. Jack kissed his Adam’s apple a bit harder than intended because of it, making Eric moan lightly above.

“ _Eric_ ,” Jack breathed. He pulled back, stopping himself, breathing heavy.

“Jack,” Eric tried to reach for his lips again.

He smiled and leaned back, keeping space between them. “We should probably get you moved in.” He chuckled.

Eric huffed. “Why?”

Jack pressed a kiss to his ear. “Because I have a bed?”

Eric pulled away, sighing. “You make a compelling argument, Mr. Zimmermann.” He pushed back to the passenger side, adjusting himself in his jeans awkwardly before popping open the door. “You best hold on to that promise, you hear?”

Jack laughed. “Yeah, I hear.” He got out and let their friends chirp them for the little peep show. He didn’t mind.

He had Eric now.

**Author's Note:**

> I named it 'You Make Me Feel Brave' because it's what Bitty said but also because most of the characters do something they normally wouldn't. Chowder stands up against Jack, Shitty puts his pride away and asks his father for help, Bitty of course comes out, and Jack gets the courage to tell Bitty how he feels. The others don't really have things to be brave about- yet. Again, I'm thinking of making this a series.  
> Also, if anyone noticed, as soon as Jack calls Bitty 'Eric' every time he's mentioned in the narration, he's no longer Bittle or Bitty but called Eric. ^^; I kind of thought it'd be interesting to have it follow along with Jack's thoughts of wanting that closer connection to Bitty, by his name.  
> And it breaks my heart that I wrote Bitty's parents like that but... I kinda wanted to see hardship. He didn't go to MA for nothing- there had to have been more than just the football players bullying him. Anyway, later in the series, they will come around. I promise on that. But yeah, I hope you liked that kinda-slow-build-mainly-everyone's-friendship-with-Bitty thing haha  
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Shame on You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13508904) by [MoonFire1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonFire1/pseuds/MoonFire1)




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